Suchergebnisse

Malta has bucked the trend of its EU Mediterranean neighbours in many ways. This smallest of EU states barely dipped into recession during the global financial crisis and remains a stable member of the Eurozone whilst also having one of the lowest infringement rates and highest transposition of EU law records amongst the 28 member states. Providing the first comprehensive study of Malta's complex road to EU membership this book looks at the impact of membership on the country's political structures and processes and explains the principal factors that have conditioned the country's Europeanization experience. Reflecting Malta's unique and often contentious road to membership, the book explores the historical context and outlines how Maltese processes and policies have changed since membership and whether a causative link exists between these changes and Malta's membership of the EU. A wide range of primary and secondary sources facilitate the study complemented by a series of interviews with a broad range of Malta's political and social actors as well as individuals from EU institutions. This depth of analysis enables a holistic view of Malta's first decade of EU membership and helps establish the fundamental characteristics of Malta's unique Europeanization experience

Cover -- Contents -- List of Figures and Tables -- List of Abbreviations -- Acknowledgements -- 1 Introduction: European Union-Russia Relations as the Partnership That Failed -- 2 The Political and Institutional Development of EU-Russia Relations -- The background: relations between the EC and the Soviet Union -- The time of troubles -- The Putin promise -- The mutual disappointment -- The final push for partnership -- The rupture: the conflict in Ukraine as the culmination of a long-term crisis in relations -- Conclusions -- 3 Actors in EU-Russia Relations -- The European Union -- Member states and their bilateral relations with Russia -- Russia -- Other actors, factors and arenas -- Conclusions -- 4 Economy, Energy and Environment -- The development and structure of trade -- The institutionalization of economic relations -- Russia's WTO accession and the partnership for modernization -- Energy as the foundation and a bone of contention -- Trade as a political weapon: the impact of embargoes, other restrictive measures and sanctions -- Environment and climate change -- Conclusions -- 5 Justice and Home Affairs -- Human rights and democracy -- Chechnya -- Police, border and judicial cooperation -- The visa issue -- Conclusions -- 6 Security and Defence -- Institutional beginnings -- The Yugoslav wars -- The Transnistrian question -- Georgia -- The Middle East, Iran and Africa -- Medvedev treaty proposal -- The Ukraine conflict as a security issue -- Conclusions -- 7 Science, Education and Culture -- Institutional frames -- Research -- Education -- Culture -- Politics of history and collective memory -- Conclusions -- 8 The 'Common Neighbourhood' and Regional Cooperation -- The EU approach towards its Eastern neighbourhood -- Russian policies for its 'near abroad' -- The role of the neighbours -- The Northern Dimension.

Energy Policy in the European Union analyses the development of energy policy in the EU focusing in particular on the key period between 1985 and 1995 and the role of the major states - Germany, France, Italy, and Britain - and their interaction with the Commission. The role of interest groups as well as other EU actors is also covered in-depth as well as the European Energy Charter, EU policy towards the East, and the relationship between energy and the environment

An authoritative and wide-ranging analysis of current issues and dilemmas in the European Union's relations with the developing world. The book brings together politicians, academics and policy-makers to address recent experience and the way ahead after the EU's leading policy, the Lome Convention, expires in February 2000. Development policy in the various member states and at EU level and the prospects for furthering the international community's human rights and good governance agenda are examined in detail. This thorough assessment of one of the EU's oldest, most important and yet little known policy fields will be of use to scholars and students of development, of European integration and international relations

Annotation

Because of the asymmetric nature of cyber threats and the dynamics of their evolution, there is a tendency for a growing role of security cooperation activities in cyberspace through joint efforts of states and non-state actors in international relations. New challenges and threats caused by the global pandemic are linked with an increased internet activity. The recent spread of fake news related to COVID-19 illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus might be seen as part of sharp power disinformation strategy applied by state actors. International organisations serve as a forum for discussion to disseminate and analyse knowledge about cybersecurity and the effects of cyber threats, they are at the same time creators of common principles of prevention, legal and institutional solutions, and are complementary to the activities of states in this field. By adopting the regional level of analysis as its methodological perspective, the article shows a natural evolution of cybersecurity means from the time of the 1990s and early 2000s when the focus was set on computer and cyberspace as a tool of serious and organised crime, through the stage when computer crime was endangering cyberspace of the EU Member States, to the period when finally the EU objectives were to achieve an open, safe and secure cyberspace keeping in mind the importance of raising awareness and acquiring skills and knowledge how to avoid or face cyber threats. At the early stages of establishing the EU cybersecurity policy, the documents focused on definitions and identifications of threats and trends. Later stages included organising institutional and legal framework, and setting up specialised institutions, centres and teams. Not only did the understanding of cyber-related issues changed but also the response of the EU to cyber threats. The transition is from the soft law instruments (recommendations) such as guidelines, communications, declarations, roadmaps, actions plans, and strategies towards more hard law instruments (obligations) such as directives and other legislative acts. The character of directives has also changed – from directives on cyber-related issues to those characterised as cyber-oriented, each being more ambitious than the previous one. The complete appraisal of the effectiveness of the EU cyber security policy is impeded by a specific nature of cyberspace and its security, as well as problems with gathering appropriate data.